Wednesday, the Pearl River County Board of Supervisors declared Good Friday on April 3 a holiday instead of the state holiday Confederate Memorial Day on Monday, April 27.

District I Supervisor Anthony Hales said the board has chosen to observe Good Friday as a holiday for the past couple of years.

Following the decision, Pearl River County Tax Assessor-Collector Gary Beech requested the board allow the tax office to stay open on Good Friday since the state commission tax office will be open that day.

“Here in our tax office, if you’re paying anything local like land taxes or business taxes, we’re on the local system,” Beech said. “But if someone comes in on Confederate Memorial Day to buy a truck tag, they will be unable to do it because the state commissions’ tax office is closed on that holiday, so those people will have to take another day off of work to get it.”

Hales said, “The decision to make Good Friday a holiday isn’t a political decision. We have considered Good Friday a holiday in the last couple of years to make sure families and kids could be home together.”

In the end, the board denied the request to allow the tax office to be open on Good Friday.